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So Father’s Day was….about a month ago. But I lost the memory cards with these pictures until today! So I’m finally getting these up now. You can tell this is from father’s day because of the BBQ cupcake decorations…and the London ones? My dad and I are obsessed, so I thought it fit…although now looking at the pictures they don’t go together all that well.Oh well!

This is a recipe I have made before, and it is BY FAR the most high in demand. Rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors mix and are not overpowered by sweetness.

These cupcakes were stolen adapted from my baker ever! I adore every one of her recipes I’ve made.

Okay, I admit it… if there was rehab for Nutella addiction, my friends would probably check me in.

Who cares if I’m addicted, it has resulted in Nutella Macarons!

With that being said, macroons are a PAIN IN THE BUTT. Besides being time consuming, they are frustratingly fickle….the weirdest things can go wrong! Thankfully mine worked out, more or less, although I must admit that they are not the roundest or fattest. Oh well, they taste amazing! Any now without further ado, I give you Nutella Macarons adapted from this amazing recipe (check it out for step by step pictures) and with much help from these awesome macaron tips.

In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream over low-medium heat. Meanwhile, place chocolate and Nutella in a medium heat-proof bowl. When heavy cream reaches a simmer, remove from heat and pour over chocolate and Nutella. Let sit for 20 seconds, then whisk until ganache is smooth

Place ganache in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes (I kept it in there longer as I was making the shells, but it didn’t seem to affect it negatively at all), until it has thickened

When ready to fill cookies, take out and beat the ganache until it lightens in color and becomes more fluffy like a mousse

Pair up macarons of the same size. Pipe or spoon a little Nutella mousse onto one cookie. Place the other cookie on top and press down gently.

Run almond meal through a sifter. Place in food processor (I don’t have a food processor, so I used my blender and then whisked by hand a little)

Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder to food processor and pulse a few times until everything is incorporated. Set aside

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites for a few minutes until they are foamy. Immediately, place mixer on low and slowly add the granulated sugar to the foamy egg whites. Continue beating until egg whites have stiff peaks (Consistency of shaving cream)

The egg white beating is one of the hardest steps to nail. Even though I was happy with my macaroons, I think they were a bit under-beaten, as some of mine split in too. However, also beware of over-beating. This just takes some practice and trial and error.

Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites and fold them in with a spatula. Place a clip above the open end of your piping bag (i just cut a hole in my plastic one, but from my experience I would recommend a metal tip) so batter won’t flow out while you fill the bag. Place the bag on a tall glass to hold it up and fill it with the batter. Twist the top shut and remove the clip. Pipe small circles onto the prepared baking sheets

Let batter rest for around 10-30 minutes, until it feels dry (and not sticky) to the touch. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 300°F.

Bake for 12 minutes. Check to see if macarons are done by grabbing the top of one macaron and trying to shake it. They are done when the top barely slides against the skirt. If they are not done, extend baking time by two minutes intervals, checking after each extension. Remove from oven and let cool completely before adding filling.

Taste:

Healthiness:

Would I make it again? Um, YES PLEASE. These have been my favorite thing I have baked in a very long time, taste wise. Macaroons are can be semi-healthy in moderation (132 cal, 13g sugar each), but unfortunately these are addicting as all get out!